A Personal Pledge for Conserving our Night Sky
View from Upper Capitol Creek Rd. Photo Courtesy Martha Ferguson
PLEASE HELP US IN CONSERVING OUR NIGHT SKY
WildSky Old Snowmass has received overwhelming support of our vision to become an International Dark Sky Community. Letters of recommendation have come from the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners, Aspen Education Foundation, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Wilderness Workshop, Roaring Fork Audubon, Aspen Valley Land Trust, Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, Design Workshop, Aspen Skiing Company and the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona (first International Dark Sky Association designation in the world in October, 2001).
* Make a Personal PLEDGE to actively pursue turning out lights when not in use, using motion sensors or timers as an easy and efficient way to turn outdoor lights off, buying appropriate LED lights for your interiors and exteriors of your home (see article below), shield downlight exterior lighting so as not to create light trespass on your neighbors’ properties. Unplug all exterior seasonal lights by January 30th each year.
Even an extraordinary amount of light escapes into the night sky from inside the home. Using shades at night for privacy and to hold light in will prevent even more night sky-invading light. The use of dimmers, timers and LED bulbs on the lower end of the lumen and kelvin scales (golden light) will also help.
These actions will reduce light pollution and the effects are immediate. The updated Pitkin County Lighting Code outlines the details in its ordinance that establish effective guidelines for safety while reducing the impact of errant light trespass that bothers neighbors and nocturnal creatures ~ the pervasive, unnatural brightening of the night sky caused by artificial light scattering in the atmosphere.
Key takeaways in effect from the Pitkin County Lighting Code
- All exterior lights need to be fully shielded and pointed down/where needed.
- Light trespass limitations (light past property boundaries) include both exterior and interior point light sources (interior lighting can be remedied with window shades, curtains or dimmer switches).
- Residential seasonal/string lighting is only permitted from November 15th to January 30th and subject to curfew, must be off during daylight hours and subject to light trespass regulations.
- All exterior light bulbs need to have a CCT no greater than 3000 Kelvin (amber colored, see chart below).
- Lighting zone LZ1 allows up to two unshielded light fixtures per dwelling unit that are maximum of 800 lumens (the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb). These must be off during curfew hours unless they have a photocell with a timer set for 1 hour or a motion sensor in place set to 5 minutes.
- A curfew of 10 pm – 6 am means no exterior lights left on throughout the night. Walkway lighting must comply with the residential standards for shielding, brightness, color temperature and conform to curfew, although a motion sensor/timer is allowed: a photocell with a timer set for 1 hour maximum or motion sensor is in place set to 5 minutes.
REMEMBER ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS MUST BE OFF DURING CURFEW UNLESS ON A PHOTOCELL WITH TIMER OR MOTION SENSOR PROPERLY SET
For questions or explanations of the lighting code, please contact Pitkin County Community Development at (970) 920-5526.
Kelvin Chart :
Conversion from Wattage to Lumens Chart:
What To Do If Bright Lights in the Neighborhood Are Bothering You
Most often, homeowners or renters don’t know their lights may be disturbing neighbors. One of the best ways to address this is to speak to your neighbor about it, bring it to their attention ~ if you are comfortable doing so. If not, you can contact Pitkin County Enforcement.
For specific inquiries, explanations and walking you through the complaint form contact Pitkin County Code Enforcement officers at https://pitkincounty.com/Directory.aspx?did=68. To file an official complaint, please click the button below where you must sign up for an account and login before you can file your complaint.
How to Control Light to Protect the Night
https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles
* Check out what some other international dark sky communities are doing to combat light pollution; all of these are places we love to visit and play in, and there are many, many more.
- Breckenridge, CO darksky.org
- Paonia, CO darkskiespaonia.com
- Nantucket, MA nantucketlights.org
- Sedona, AZ keepsedonabeautiful.org/dark-skies
- Moab, UT moabdarkskies.com